342 



VETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



collection of manure, as the fattening animal has to live 

 on a manure heap until consigned to the butcher. 



Day by day as the material accumulates a small quantity 

 of fresh straw is added, which is generally cut in short 

 lengths, and the whole is kneaded into a mass by the 

 treading of the animal. This state of affairs goes on for 

 months, the animal living on a semi-liquid manure heap, 

 and the resulting material comes out in a ripe and highly 

 desirable condition from an agricultural point of view. 



We alluded to this filthy system when speaking of venti- 

 lation, and have frequently throughout these pages referred 



Fig. 138. — Portion of gi-ound-plan of Covered Homestead. A A are the 

 fattening boxes ; B, water trough in covered yard. 



to the importance of manure to the farmer in enabling him 

 to spend more money on feeding, but we cannot give this 

 method of saving manure and labour any countenance, and 

 denounce it as insanitary and unhealthy. 



The Box and Yard system of fattening is derived from 

 the North of England, where it is known as the Hammel 

 System, and has met with very general approval. A 

 hammel is a box about 12 feet square, communicating with 

 a yard of the same size (Fig. 139). In both the shed 

 and yard, facilities for feeding and watering exist. The 

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